TEYUNA -CIUDAD PERDIDA FIELD SCHOOL,
COLOMBIA
Course ID: ARCH XL 159
June 11–July 12, 2017
DIRECTORS:
Dr. Santiago Giraldo, Global Heritage Fund, Fundación de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y
Ambientales Tayrona-FIAAT ([email protected])
Eduardo Mazuera, M.A. Department of Architecture, Universidad de los Andes,
[email protected]
INTRODUCTION
Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida Archaeological Park is located on the northern face of the Sierra Nevada
de Santa Marta mountain range towards the upper section of the Buritaca River basin. The
archaeological remains extend over more than thirty hectares, spreading out over the crest and
slopes of a narrow hilltop overlooking the Buritaca River, from 900 meters elevation to 1100
meters. The broken landscape around the Park is covered in tropical rainforest, with trees and
palms over thirty meters high. In addition to the remains of Ciudad Perdida, vestiges of at least
an additional 26 settlements can be found in the surrounding area. The archaeological park is
also located within the overlap between Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Natural Park and the
Kogi-Malayo-Arhuaco indigenous reservation. A biodiversity assessment of the area confirmed
the presence of jaguar, puma, and ocelot, as well as endemic bird and reptile species found
nowhere else in the world.
Between 2006 and 2012, research concentrated on Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida itself, focusing on
producing a better understanding of its construction sequence and layout. During 2014 and
2015, and in 2016 FIAAT-GHF and ICANH (Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History)
teams concentrated on conservation and survey work in different areas throughout the park.
During 2016 we focused on sampling and survey work at sites known as G-2 and B-202, and
excavations at Ciudad Perdida’s central terrace. During the 2017 season, we plan to continue
survey and sampling, while moving towards two sites in the vicinity: Páramo and Tigres. Pending
GPR survey work with ICANH specialists we will also pick at least two structures within Ciudad
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Perdida for excavation. The role of adjacent towns and villages vis á vis the larger city is unclear,
and thus sampling and excavation work is meant to complement architectural and spatial data
gathered during the 2013 field season. Targeted excavation is designed to aid us in
understanding the construction sequence and function of these sites that are, to date, poorly
understood. During this field season, we will also be doing conservation work at a number of
structures that have collapsed and need rebuilding. We will be working with the park's
archaeological conservation team led by Eduardo Mazuera. Given that some of these terraces
may have buried occupations, stratigraphic details must be carefully recorded, and artifacts
buried in terrace fill recovered and cataloged. Students will rotate between the survey and
conservation teams.
ACADEMIC CREDIT UNITS & TRANSCRIPTS
Credit Units: Attending students will be awarded 12 quarter credit units (equivalent to 8
semester units) through our academic partner, UCLA Extension. UCLA is a top ranked research
university and its archaeology program is ranked amongst the best in the country. All IFR field
schools instructors and curricula are approved both by the corresponding academic
department and the Academic Senate at UCLA. This field school provides a minimum of 192
direct instructional hours.
Transcripts: Transcripts are available through UCLA UnEX and instructions for ordering
transcripts may be found at http://bit.ly/2bD0Z3E. Grades will be posted and transcript
available usually within six weeks after the end of this field school. All IFR field schools are
designated XL classes – courses that are equivalent to undergraduate courses offered by the
UCLA regular session. All XL courses are transferable for unit and subject credit toward the
Bachelor's Degree at all campuses of the UC and CSU systems. Classes numbered 100 to 199
are considered upper division (junior/senior). For more information, go to
http://bit.ly/2bjAqmy.
UCLA students: Students can take classes through UCLA Extension to complete requirements.
However certain considerations must be taken into account. For more information, go to
http://bit.ly/2bJWeHK.
Credit Units Transfer: Most universities accept UCLA credit units – there are very few
exceptions. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss the transferability of the credit units
with school officials BEFORE attending the field school.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The objective of this field school is to provide students with hands on training in archaeology
and conservation work and its practice in remote and isolated tropical forest areas such as
Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida. Students are expected to gain basic knowledge of the logistics involved
in running a successful project and understand the ethical issues at stake when working within
indigenous reservations and national parks.
Reaching Ciudad Perdida requires two days of hiking through steep, mountainous jungle.
Students will be introduced to the physical and intellectual challenges presented by projects
taking place in remote environments such as Ciudad Perdida. Students will also explore how
ancient peoples constructed completely different life-worlds from our own. Along the way,
students will be introduced to the logics and objectives of community based development
related to tourism and the archaeological park.
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To achieve all of the above goals, we will: 1) provide students with basic knowledge of field
methods, including excavation, survey and sampling, artifact processing and cataloging, and
conservation work; 2) introduce students to research design, data interpretation, and the
constant reframing of assumptions, hypotheses, and methodologies as work advances in the
field; finally, 3) explain and describe the process for designing grassroots development projects
aimed at improving the livelihoods of peasant and indigenous inhabitants of the area.
Survey and sampling: Students will conduct survey of architectural structures and topographic
features, as well as sampling of terraces through shovel tests.
Excavation: The objective for this field season is to carry out a small number of targeted
excavations at Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida or B-202, along with survey work aimed at reaching the
site of Tigres. Students will participate in discussions regarding excavation trench location,
orientation, and expected findings in order to better understand excavation logic and practices.
Students will also learn how to set up a datum point and grid, artifact collection procedures,
record keeping, artifact sorting, and soil and feature sampling procedures. Students will
participate actively in all excavation workflow.
Record keeping and processing: Students will participate in drawing architectural features,
plotting survey points on plans, filling out excavation forms, and recording stratigraphic details.
Laboratory: Scheduled lab tasks will include washing, sorting, drawing, and cataloguing of finds.
The course begins on Monday, June 11 and will meet every weekday and for a half-day on
Saturdays until July 10. During the first two days, lectures will take place in the afternoon at
lodges on the trail, where the historic, cultural, archaeological, and biological background of the
area will be explained. Along the way, and on the trail, students will also be shown unexcavated
sites and presented to the indigenous community in the basin.
DISCLAIMER – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Archaeological field work involves physical work in the outdoors. You should be aware that
conditions in the field are different than those you experience in your home, dorms or college
town. This program operates in the dense jungle of the Sierra Nevada, with typical tropical
forest heat and humidity. Conditions are basic, there is no hot water, and you will be sleeping
on bunk beds, field cots, or mattresses placed on the floor. There are no private rooms, internet
or cell phones. Power is provided by a small hydroelectric turbine and solar panels. To get to
the site, you will hike for two days in the rough mountain terrain. Clothing never dries well and
mosquitoes are in abundance. Food is carried by porters and mules over the jungle path and
there is no choice, stores, or alternative food sources.
Research at Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida requires commitment, an inquisitive mindset, and a great
love of the outdoors. The program offers a unique experience that will challenge both your
body and mind. Make sure you understand how remote Ciudad Perdida is before enrolling.
That said, this program offers students a real opportunity for a transformative experience. You
will learn not only about lost civilizations and living tropical forest cultures, you will also learn
much about yourself.
If you have medical concerns, please discuss them with your doctor. All other concerns may be
discussed with the project director – as appropriate.
PREREQUISITES
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There are no prerequisites for this course. However, due to the fact that we will be hiking in and
out along the 14.5 mile trail and walking in tropical forest on a daily basis, with a very broken
topography, students must be physically fit and emotionally prepared. Archaeological work at
Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida involves relatively strenuous physical activity, as well as exposure to the
elements and insects. You will be constantly sweaty, tired, pestered by droves of mosquitoes,
and occasionally drenched by thunderous rains. You will be outside your comfort zone and will
have to interact with people who speak no English, including kogui and wiwa indigenous peoples
as well as tourist and guides. Students should be mentally prepared to spend a month with
limited communication with their friends and family, for there is no cellular phone coverage
available at the site or anywhere near it. A satellite phone provides limited communications.
EQUIPMENT-TOOLKIT
Students must bring the following as part of their personal kit:
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A clip board
Warm weather sleeping bag (40 degree Fahrenheit/8 degree Celsius rating)
Leather work gloves
Hiking boots or shoes
Rubber boots (wellies), to be bought in Santa Marta
Sun glasses and cap or hat
Pocketknife
Personal first aid kit
Headlamp
Mosquito repellent
GRADING
60%: Participate in activities each day, including lectures, and laboratory work
15%: Keep a field notebook that will be evaluated at the end of the field season
15%: Participate in daily discussion of results
10%: Oral exam testing students on reading materials required for this course
TRAVEL & MEETING POINT
Students arriving by air will be met at the Santa Marta airport (SMR) by staff members. Those
arriving by bus from Bogotá will be given instructions on how to get to Hotel Solymar
(www.solymarhostal.com) or The Dreamer Hostel (www.thedreamerhostel.com) in Santa Marta.
You will have to fly in to Bogotá and take a connecting flight to the city of Santa Marta or fly in to
Cartagena or Barranquilla and travel overland to Santa Marta. You should make travel
arrangements such that you arrive in Santa Marta by midday of Sunday June 11 at the latest.
If you miss your connection or your flight was delayed/canceled, call, text or email the project
director. Local contact information will be provided to enrolled students.
VISA REQUIREMENTS
U.S. citizens traveling to Colombia do not need a visa for a tourist stay of 90 days or
less. Students do need a valid passport. Travelers entering Colombia are sometimes asked to
present evidence of return or onward travel, usually in the form of a plane ticket. One empty
page in your passport is required for entry stamp. Citizens of other countries are asked to check
the Embassy of Colombia website page at their home country for specific visa requirement.
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ACCOMMODATIONS
During the hike to Ciudad Perdida, we will be staying in the same lodges used by tourists. The
first night you will sleep in a hammock or bunk bed. Lodges on the second night have bunk beds.
Students will live in field housing located within the park itself. Conditions are basic, there is no
hot water, and you will be sleeping on bunk beds, field cots, or mattresses placed on the floor.
All meals will be communal events at the park kitchen and will provide plenty of food prepared
by a local cook. The daily diet is based on rice, corn cakes, manioc, potatoes, plantains, lentils,
beans, meat (salt beef, pork, and fish) and when available, vegetables and fruit juice. Vegetarians
may attend but will find that vegetable and fruit availability will diminish as the season
progresses and we use up our store of fresh produce. Vegan and kosher restrictions are
impossible to accommodate in a remote location such as this one.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Sunday, June 11
5:00 p.m. Students and staff assemble in Lobby of Hotel Solymar, Santa Marta
5-6:00 p.m. Introductions, question and answer session
7:00 p.m. Group dinner
June 12-13: Approach to Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida Park
Monday , June 12
6:30 a.m. Group meets 4 x 4 vehicles for travel to El Mamey trailhead
10:00 a.m. Group leaves trailhead for first lodge
Afternoon: Lecture “Introduction to archaeology of Northern South America I”
Tuesday, June 13
7:00 a.m. Group leaves for 2nd lodge
Afternoon: Lecture: “Introduction to archaeology of Northern South America II”
Wednesday, June 14
6:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m. Breakfast
7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. Safety and health discussion
8:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. Group tour throughout the park
Lunch: 12:00-1.00
Afternoon: Equipment set up, check-up, and explanations (Total Stations, Prisms, Rods, Tripod
set up, computers, cameras, excavation tool boxes, etc.)
Evening: Workgroup organization and schedule
Thursday, June 15
6:00-6:45 a.m. Breakfast
7:00-1:00 p.m. Research and conservation activities, training session 1 (TS in field set-up, shot
taking, attribute recording, drafting, conservation drafting and recording, etc.)
1:30-3:00 p.m. Lunch and rest break
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3:00-6:00 p.m. Debriefing and discussion
6:00-7:00 p.m. Dinner
Friday, June 16
6:00-6:45 a.m. Breakfast
7:00-1:00 p.m. Research and conservation activities, Training Session 2
1:30-3:00 p.m. Lunch and rest break
3:00-4:00 p.m. Debriefing and discussion
6:00-7:00 p.m. Dinner
Saturday, June 17
7:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00-11:00 TS in field set-up individual practice
Free time
Sunday, June 18
Rest/Laundry Day
Week 2-4 Daily Schedule (Monday-Saturday June 19 thru July 10)
6:00-6:45 a.m. Breakfast
7:00-1:00 p.m. Research or conservation activities (10:30 a.m. break)
1:30-3:00 p.m. Lunch and rest break, walk back to camp
3:00-6:00 p.m. Debriefing and discussion, lab work
6:00-7:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00-8:30 p.m. Occasional lecture by project staff
Sundays: Free time (laundry, reading, writing, swimming in the creek and river)
Saturday and Sunday July 8, 9 Season wrap up and discussion, equipment cleaning and packing
Monday July 10 Walk back to El Mamey, pickup and travel to Santa Marta
July 11 Arrival to Santa Marta
July 12 Return home or continued travel in Colombia or South America
MANDATORY READINGS
Readings listed below will be posted on-line for students to access and read in advance of the
project.
Bray, Warwick. 2003. Gold, Stone and Ideology: Symbols of Power in the Tairona Tradition. In
Gold and Power in Ancient Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia, Jeffrey Quilter and John W.
Hoopes. 301-344. Washington, D.C: Dumbarton Oaks.
Cavelier, J., Aide, T.M., Santos, C., Eusse, A.M., and Dupuy, J.M. 1998. The Savannization of Moist
Forests in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Journal of Biogeography 25, 5 (Sep.
1998): 901-912.
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Edelman, Marc and Haugerud, Angelique. 2005. The Anthropology of Development and
Globalization: From Classical Political Economy to Contemporary Neoliberalism. Oxford:
Blackwell Publishing. Chapter 1.
Feilden, Bernard. 1994. Introduction to Architectural Conservation. In Conservation of Historic
Buildings. Elsevier. U.K. Eppich, Rand (Ed). 2007. Recording, Documentation and Information
Management for the Conservation of Heritage Places. The Getty Conservation Institute. Los
Angeles, California.
Giraldo, Santiago. 2010. Lords of the Snowy Ranges: Politics, Place, and Landscape
Transformation in Two Tairona Towns in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Ph.D.
diss., University of Chicago. Intro, Chapters 2 and 5
-----2009. Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida Archaeological Park Guidebook. Bogotá: Instituto Colombiano
de Antropología e Historia.
ICOMOS. 1990. Charter for the Protection and Management of the Archaeological Heritage.
Jokilehto, Jukka. 1999. A History of Architectural Conservation. Elsevier. U.K. Ch. 10.
Krogzemis, James R. 1967. A Historical geography of the Santa Marta Area, Colombia. PhD diss.,
University of California, Berkeley. Chapters 2, 4 and 5
Langebaek, Carl. 2003. The Political Economy of Pre-Colombian Goldwork: Four Examples from
Northern South America. In Gold and Power in Ancient Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia,
Jefferey Quilter and John W. Hoopes, Eds. 245-278. Washington D.C: Dumbarton Oaks.
Matero, F.,K, Fung., del Bono, E., Goodman, M., Kopelson, E., McVey, L., Sloop, J., Turton, C.
1998. Archaeological Site Conservation and Management: An appraisal of recent trends.
Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites. Volume 2: 129-142. James & James,
London.
Renfrew, Colin and Bahn, Paul. 2004. Archaeology Theories, Methods, and Practices. London and
New York: Thames and Hudson. Ch. 14
Sullivan, Sharon. 1995. A Planning Model for the Management of Archaeological Sites. In De la
Torre, Marta (Ed). The Conservation of Archaeological Sites in the Mediterranean Region. The
Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, California.
Uribe Tobon, Carlos Alberto. 1990. We, the Elder Brothers: Continuity and change among the
Kággabba of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. PhD diss., University of Pittsburgh.
Ch. 1, 3, 4, 5 and Conclusion
RECOMMENDED READINGS
Bakewell, Peter. 1997. A History of Latin America. Malden and Oxford: Blackwell. Ch. 1-3
Lucas, Gavin. 2005. The Archaeology of Time. Themes in Archaeology, Julian Thomas, E.J. London
and NewYork: Routledge.Ch.1-3
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